The Best Archaeological Sites & Ruins in Asia

India

Ellora and Ajanta are groups of temples and monasteries cut into rock in Maharashtra. Hampi is the ruined capital of the Vijayanagara empire in Karnataka. Rani ki Vav and Chand Baori are stepwells in Gujarat and Rajasthan. The temples of Khajuraho in Madhya Pradesh, the sun temples of Modhera and Konark and the shore monuments of Mahabalipuram complete the country’s nine entries.

Cambodia and Thailand

Angkor near Siem Reap counts as one entry with Angkor Wat, the Bayon and Ta Prohm. Beng Mealea, about 60 km to the east, is left largely as the forest took it. Preah Vihear stands on a cliff on the Thai border. In Thailand the list has the old capital Sukhothai and the Khmer temple Phanom Rung.

Sri Lanka, Armenia and China

Sigiriya is a rock with the remains of a 5th-century palace on top; Polonnaruwa is a ruined capital with the rock-cut Buddhas of Gal Vihara. Garni in Armenia is a temple of the 1st century. The Terracotta Army near Xi’an is seen in the pits where it was found.